Shotgun Cartridges?

[Hillside]

Evening All,
I've been tidying the gun room and come across some old (15 + years) shotgun cartridges.
No apparent degradation on the outside. Will these be safe/reliable to still be used?
How long do cartridges last if stored well?

Cheers
Hillside

 

[Andyquadra]

I've seen older one used, crack on

 

[alberta boy]

^ This , I've used 50 year old surplus ammo . As long as it's been stored properly , you're good to go .

AB

 

[Essex stalker]

I had some 30 year old 410 cartriges, the only problem I had was they were the old cardboard case ones and the cardboard had swollen slightly making them tight to get into the chamber, still killed bunnies in the garden though!!

 

[mealiejimmy]

No problem - I have some Eley Alphamax that are more than 30 years old.
They get an annual outing and the occasional shot when we have fox drives (but not this year )

Cheers

Bruce

 

[tozzybum]

My reloads use 20 year old Noble 80 powder and i have a box an half of old Alphamax as M/j says they still go bang ,loverly green flame too

 

[alberta boy]

I had some 30 year old 410 cartriges, the only problem I had was they were the old cardboard case ones and the cardboard had swollen slightly making them tight to get into the chamber, still killed bunnies in the garden though!!

I have some old 410 cardboard cases as well , they require a bit of a push to chamber but they work just fine .......... the snow shoe hares and grouse don't seem to mind .

AB

 

[foxinmad]

My reloads use 20 year old Noble 80 powder and i have a box an half of old Alphamax as M/j says they still go bang ,loverly green flame too

Ah Alphamax, I still have a good few left from years ago when doing the fox drives

 

[tozzybum]

Nice gift when an old friend gave up shooting

 

[Malxwal]

Long as they've been kept dry, no problem.
I've a small cartridge bag of ancient Baikal cartridges, God knows they must be from the early eighties, occasional one goes through the Benelli and into a crow.

 

[Deermanagement]

They'll be fine. If they did get a little damp at any stage, most likely leave some unburnt powder

 

[Pedro]

I've got a friend of a certain age. All his friends of a similar age are popping off now and so he very kindly volunteers to take their cartridges off the hands of the next of kin. Don't think he's bought a box of anything in decades! He just puts them in his pocket and there's good assortment of colours and sizes, paper and plastic. What goes in his gun are simply the next two out of the pocket. They all go bang. But don't ask how often he hits anything...

 

[paul o']

Use em up i'v used 1942 still went bang .

 

[Hillside]

Thanks Folks,
As it happens they are Alphamax and Hymax, some Remington express.
I bought them years ago for fox drives and the geese etc.
All the best to everyone and stay safe.

Cheers
Hillsdside

 

[Hillside]

Long as they've been kept dry, no problem.
I've a small cartridge bag of ancient Baikal cartridges, God knows they must be from the early eighties, occasional one goes through the Benelli and into a crow.

Ha,
I remember shooting them, you had to wait till the confetti had cleared to see if you'd hit anything! :0)

 

[enfieldspares]

I've owned two, three Baikal guns. Nothing wrong with them. Except the ejectors were never really correctly timed. But I never had the courage to use their Rekord cartridges. These were the ones with a running hare on them?

 

[Yorkie]

Baikal Record cartridges fired from a single shot Baikal shotgun. That brings back memories of sore shoulder, sore cheek bone and a banging headache. I used to think it was great fun. Younger and dafter back then.

 

[Dunwaters]

I've owned two, three Baikal guns. Nothing wrong with them. Except the ejectors were never really correctly timed. But I never had the courage to use their Rekord cartridges. These were the ones with a running hare on them?

I used them, a bang like a clap of thunder, a belch of flame a yard long, cloud of debris, a stench of burnt powder and shoulder wrenching recoil.
A single enthusiast shooter could keep miles of foreshore clear of all bird life.

 

[McKenzie]

I very rarely shoot non-toxic but I bought a couple of boxes of Bismuth cartridges when they first came out (perhaps 20 years ago?) & the 4 or 5 I shoot a year still seem to work for me.

 

[Pete6.5]

Can anyone remember shooting these?